Love. It’s what makes Subaru’s marketing successful

Marketers are most effective when they are successful at aligning a product, brand, and/or message with consumers’ inner most values. Values are the driving force behind what people feel, think, believe, desire, consume, experience, and share. These characteristics go deeper than the demographic segmentation that marketers have been doing for ages. Researchers at Zenzi’s Social Values Project have worked to collect unique insights relating to people’s individual social values and how it relates to their buying behavior and preferences. After extensive research and testing, the team has classified six distinct orientations of values across which most people are distributed.

Prestige Seekers (Desire recognition of achievements and a high position in social hierarchy)

Pleasure Seekers (Value varied sensory inputs and pleasure)

Freedom Seekers (Value autonomous and largely self-guided action)

Purpose Seekers (Concerned for social welfare and take action to improve global conditions)

Security Seekers (Feel responsible for security of themselves and those close to them)

It may seem as though there are specific products and brands that assumedly have a defined niche consumer base (e.g. Whole Foods market). However, people could be motivated to shop at Whole Foods for very different reasons. While one shopper’s primary concern may be her family’s health, another person can be motivated by status and so that people recognize that she shops at a relatively expensive market. You see, even the health food market segment can be incredibly complex in terms of principal purchase motivations.

A company can effectively market the same product/brand by using distinct messaging tactics that speak to the values that motivate purchases. After some surveying of the current leading brands and their marketing initiatives, Zenzi researchers have found a brand that is notably effective at this – Subaru.

Prestige Seekers

Prestige Seekers are highly influenced by others and are concerned with what others think about their purchases. They prefer stylish, trendy, unique, and expensive products. Not surprisingly, Prestige Seekers prefer stories that feature excitement and action.

How does Subaru speak to Prestige Seekers? With the Subaru WRX racing around a curvy road getting the heart pounding while touting its uniqueness and distinction. The footage flashes statements like, “The Best Handling,” and “The Best Performing.” A James Bond-esque soundtrack is playing in the background, which invokes feelings of status and excitement. The video is concluded with the tagline, “Confidence in motion.”

Pleasure Seekers

Pleasure seekers pursue excitement in life. The last word they want to use to describe their life is “leisurely.” They are more motivated by the experience that a purchase promises them. Hence, they are the ones skydiving, bungee jumping, and white water rafting.

The Subaru WRX line is aimed specifically at performance-enthusiast drivers and has a rich history in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Subaru has effectively positioned its brand as a well-regarded, award-winning performance automobile and successfully earned a reputation among pleasure seekers.

Freedom Seekers:

Freedom Seekers have a strong desire to choose their own direction in life, as opposed to conforming to traditions or societal expectations. They are eco-conscious and have an appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, and curiosity.

Continuing on its remarkably pointed messaging strategy, Subaru hit a home run with this commercial that is geared toward Freedom Seekers. The commercial features the story of a man whose Subaru “let him go places he always wanted go.” The video creatively infuses art and adventure as its secondary themes, effectively hitting the most salient values to a Freedom Seeker.

Another imaginative commercial is depicted here where this couple’s Subaru allowed them the opportunity to make choices they wouldn't ordinarily be able make. The video boldly ends with the statement, “We got a Subaru to take us new places. It did.”

Purpose Seekers:

Purpose Seekers are eco-conscious, compassionate, and empathetic people who put the health and safety of others before themselves. They essentially feel that their life should serve a purpose beyond themselves and their own well being. Purpose Seekers enjoy nature and have a strong sense of community, compassion, and friendliness.

The Purpose Seeker messaging in Subaru’s “hands” campaign is clear and pointed. This commercial opens with the statement, “The hands that drive a Subaru are the hands that do good things for the whole community, the environment, seniors, kids, and animals.” After ending with the statement, “It feels good to be a helping hand,” Subaru offers donations to charity with every purchase of a Subaru.

Tradition Seekers:

Tradition Seekers are concerned with the health and safety of their family and loved ones. Moreover, they highly value the traditions and customs that are passed down from generation to generation. They happily live within social and cultural norms and consider traditions to be vital to happy life.

Subaru executes distinct messaging targeted at the Tradition Seeker and does it with resounding success. One campaign focuses on a father teaching his sons how to drive in the family’s old Subaru and it’s implied that the sons will be inheriting the car. The video voiceover says, “We got the new Subaru because nothing could break our old one.” In this commercial, Subaru not only highlights the importance of family traditions, such as teaching children to drive, but also handing down a durable and safe car from generation to generation.

Security Seekers:

Security Seekers strive to protect their friends and family and values stability in life. They will go out of their way to make sure that the choices they make are good for their families. They are conscientious, compassionate, and cooperative, as well as extremely brand loyal. The safety and comfort of their family and friends is what they value most when considering buying a car.

One particular Subaru campaign speaks precisely to safety and is highly effective and successful at evoking emotions, which is just the type of story a Security Seeker prefers. It features a man visiting a junk yard where his mangled Subaru sits – obviously insinuating that he was in a significant accident. The brand-loyal man drives up in a new Subaru and looks upon the carnage with a sense of disbelief. The voiceover says, “My Subaru saved my life. I will never forget that.”

Social values are the driving force behind what people feel, think, believe, desire, consume, experience, and share. Subaru has aligned its brand to the inner most values of all of Zenzi’s Social Value types. These well-executed marketing methods that speak to the heart of consumers’ motivations are widely well received and impactful.

Love. It’s what makes Subaru a Subaru.

Tradition Seekers:

Tradition Seekers are concerned with the health and safety of their family and loved ones. Moreover, they highly value the traditions and customs that are passed down from generation to generation. They happily live within social and cultural norms and consider traditions to be vital to happy life.

Subaru executes distinct messaging targeted at the Tradition Seeker and does it with resounding success. One campaign focuses on a father teaching his sons how to drive in the family’s old Subaru and it’s implied that the sons will be inheriting the car. The video voiceover says, “We got the new Subaru because nothing could break our old one.” In this commercial, Subaru not only highlights the importance of family traditions, such as teaching children to drive, but also handing down a durable and safe car from generation to generation.

Security Seekers:

Security Seekers strive to protect their friends and family and values stability in life. They will go out of their way to make sure that the choices they make are good for their families. They are conscientious, compassionate, and cooperative, as well as extremely brand loyal. The safety and comfort of their family and friends is what they value most when considering buying a car.

One particular Subaru campaign speaks precisely to safety and is highly effective and successful at evoking emotions, which is just the type of story a Security Seeker prefers. It features a man visiting a junk yard where his mangled Subaru sits – obviously insinuating that he was in a significant accident. The brand-loyal man drives up in a new Subaru and looks upon the carnage with a sense of disbelief. The voiceover says, “My Subaru saved my life. I will never forget that.”

Social values are the driving force behind what people feel, think, believe, desire, consume, experience, and share. Subaru has aligned its brand to the inner most values of all of Zenzi’s Social Value types. These well-executed marketing methods that speak to the heart of consumers’ motivations are widely well received and impactful.